Bazor-blade stropper



May 22, 1928. 1,670,500

G. G. FLOYD RAZOR BLADE STROPPER Filed Dec. 16, 1926 lllW lii my 7' r may,

Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEORGE G. FLOYD, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS.

RAZOR-BLADE STROPPER.

Application filed December 16, 1926. Serial No. 155,186.

My invention involves certain features of novelty and advantage, both as to structure and function, in stroppers or Sharpeners in general, but-more particularly in connection with appliances for sharpening razor-blades to improve their cutting qualities.

One purpose of the invention is the production of an extremely simple appliance which is capable of being manufactured economically and which will perform its intended sharpening or stropping action with efficiency and effectiveness.

A further aim or object of the invention is to supply a device of this type which involves but few parts, which can be easily manipulated by a novice, and which is not likely to become injured or damaged in ordinary service.

Those skilled in this art will wholly understand the invention and its numerous advantages from a consideration of a present, desirable and preferred embodiment thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying-drawing forming a part of this specification, and throughout the several views of which like reference characters have been employed to designate the same parts.

In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the stropper with the blade-holder and blade omitted;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the stropper with the bladeholder and blade in position;

Fig. is an elevation of the blade-holder and its contained blade, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. a is an end elevation of the bladeholder and blade;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the opposite end of the same parts;

Fig. 6 illustrates in section the manner in which the appliance functions to strop one side of the blade-edge;

Fig. 7 shows in similar manner the device stropping the opposite side of the bladeedge;

Fig. 8 is a substantially central-longitudinal section through the structure, on an enlarged scale, indicating the blade-holder and blade in operative relation to the stropper proper and showing one of the cylindrical, stropping elements and associated members in central section; and

Fig. 9 is an end view of one of the stropping rollers.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the novel and improved structure includes a sheet-metal, main body 11 having downwardly-bent ends 12, 12 and longitudinal, depending flanges 13, 13 along its lengthwise edges or margins.

In its top face such part or frame element of the stropper has a central, lengthwise slot 14 with laterally-enlarged, opposite ends. 15, 15, the central portion of such top being depressed or sunk at 16, 16 at both sides of the slot, whereby the downwardly-curved edge surfaces of the metal at the sides of the slot form parallel walls of substantial depth to maintain or support the blade-holder, described hereinafter, in proper and secure position.

The blade-holder comprises a piece of sheet-metal bent upon itself at 17 to provide two, parallel, spaced parts or walls 18 and 19, both of which have registering ribs 21, 21 on their inner faces to hold the sides 18 and 19 apart and to support the blade 22 properly in the holder, such blade having a thickened or reinforced back accommodated in the holder above the pair of ribs, the blade being adapted for insertion in the holder through the open end of the latter, with its sharp-edge portion projecting downwardly out of the holder, the bottom edges of the two sides 18 and 19 being deflected or bent inwardly at 24:, 24 toward one another to firmly grip the blade between them near its sharp edge.

A bent-over lug 25 on one of the holder sides 18 limits the lengthwise insertion of the blade and holds it correctly in position, and a top flange 26 of the same side extends over the upper edge of the blade and the companion side and prevents the blade from falling out of the holder in that direction when such holder is demounted from the stropper, the flange also affording means to prevent the lingers of the operator from slipping off of the holder, which is conveniently used as a handle or gripping means during the stropping act-ion.

Near one end, both sides of the holderhave small, registering, oppositely-outstanding bosses or lugs 27, 27 provided by suitably deforming the metal, and, near the opposite end of the holder, its two sides have short, registering, open-ended slots 28, 28. the top margins of which are on a level with the under surface of the double-wall shoulder 29 at the other end of the holder.

Such holder and its contained blade are.

IOU

designed to be inserted downwardly or edge wise into the slot let, with the lugs or projections 2T, 27 in register with one of the slot enlargements 15, through which they pass, whereupon the holder is slid lengthwise, shifting such retaining or locking lugs below the top wall 01 the body ll on opposite sides of the narrow slot l, as shown in Fig. 8., that is, out of register with its enlarged end 15, and locking the other, end of the holder against displacement; by its slots 28, QSI'BCGlVlDg that part or the top wall of the element ll just beyond the opposite or other slot enlargement 15 (see hig.

\V hen thus inserted and displaced, the holder and its blade are fixedly and rigidly locked to the member ll in its slot le by the lugs 27, the shoulder 29 and the slots as, all as will be readily understood.

Obviously, by a reverse niovenient ol the parts involved, the holder can be easily demounted and the sharpened blade renioved therefrom with ease and dispatch.

Each depending wall. l2, l2 has one end member 31 of a lraine, composed of the two end members 3 31 and their integral, crossconnecting bar 32, lulcrunied thereon at so that the frame may rock as a unit.

The. two parts 3i, 31 provide bearings 31' v for the ends of tour, short, parallel shafts 35, 35, whereby such shafts are revolubl'y mounted in the roelrable lraine.

Each such shalt at its outer part has a traction roller or Wheel 36 fixed thereon. so as to turn therewith, and, in the present instance, each such roller or wheel is clamped between two metal disks or washers 37, 37 which have oppositely disposed, lateral tongues 38, 38 embedded in the wheel, the disks being forced on theshajtiz with a suliicient degree of tightness so as to turn with the shaft as a unit,

The stropper includes two, wooden rollers 39, 39, spirally covered externally with strips of leather or other appropriate stropping material ell, and the ends oi the latter are. held lirnily in. place by lateral tangs or fingers 42 on disks a3 at opposite ends Oli" each roller, and each fitted snugly and firmly over the short, protruding part of asleeve 44; tightly fitting in a cylindrical cavity in the corresponding. end of the roller.

As will be observed, the diameter or each stl 'oppingroller is somewhat less than that of its traction-wheels, so that it will not contact with the surface on which the traction wheels are designed to roll.

Each sleeve 44 has a plurality of holes 45 therethrough, all in the same transverse plane, and, in register therewith, the corre sponding shaft 35. is cut away to form afiat surface 46. supplied near one end with-a substantiallyhemispherical recess or cavity 47, a clutch-ball 48 being supplied and designed nerronoo to operatively connect the shaft to the sleeve and stropprng-roller when the ball is on the hat suriace so and partiallyoccupying one ol' the holes 45, as shown in the right-hand portion of Fig. ('3, and adapted to rotatively disconnect the roller from the shaft when the ball is in the cavity or depression all, as illustrated in the left-hand part of l ig. (i.

it will be observed from the showing in l igs. G and 7 that the cavities e27 areat the opposite sides or ends of the two flat eurlaces or. the two short shafts at the corresponding ends of the pair .oit stropping or sharpening rollers, so that when the appliance is rolled on any plane supporting surtace in either direct on the rear set ot clutches -Wlll. be: op-

erative to turn the corresponding roller 33 until one side, of the blade-edge is bear- 7 ing on one oi the stroppingrollers, as shown, tor instance, in F 6.

The operator, while holding theparts in his relation, then pushes the appliance troin to the leift as viewed in Fig. 6, the tractionewheels 36, 36. rolling on any suitable, liat, supporting surface, such as, a table-top, thereby positively causing that one of the two stroppingrollers which the blade engages to revolve in the proper direction to perform its intended sharpening or s-lropping function.

Under these circun'istances, the traction wheels ot? the other forward or inactive stropplug-roller necessarily revolve, and there may be sutlicient friction between them and their roller to turn the latter at the same time, but such action is not at all positive.

Of course, any reverse, rotative movement of such rear, active roller, either accidental or intentional, is prevented because the blade by contacting with it holds it stationary under such circumstances and the ball clutches are inoperative to effect such rotation, and accordingly the mechanism el 'iectually eliminates any posibility of in ji to the stroppingleather by the blades sharp or cutting edge.

il hen the. specified forward stroke or inoven'ient of the appliance has been co1npleted, the operator swings the combined or united body and the blade-holder and blade on the pivots 33, 33 to bring the opposite side of the blades cutting edge into contact with the other or lefthand st-ropping-rolier (see Fig. 7). i

Then the operator rolls the appliance to the right towards him, causing the revolution of the active roller through its traction-wheels and effecting the stropping of such side of the blade-edge, injury or cut ting of the stropping material on such roller being prevented tor the same reason as specified above.

Such reciprocatory movements of the appliance and its parts are repeated a suifieient number of times to assure the production of a cutting edge on the blade, whereupon the holder is removed from the stropper and the sharpened blade taken out.

From the above description, it will be understood that the stropping rollers are rendered active in alternation during the forward and reverse strokes or movements of the appliance over a smooth surface and that the opposite sides of the edge of the blade are stropped in repeated successions.

'Ihose acquainted with this art will understand that the invention as presented in the following claims is not restricted to the precise details of construction illustrated and described and that many more or less radical changes may be incorporated in the device without departure from the heart and essence of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a truck-frame, traction-wheel means and a pair of associated stroppingrollers of lesser diameter revolubly mounted in said frame, oppositely-acting one-way clutch-means between said traction-wheel means and said stropping-rollers, a support roelringly mounted on said trucloframe, and a blade-holder rigid and rockable with said support, whereby a blade in the holder may be swung into engagement with either stropping-roller and the appliance rolled with the traction-wheels on a supporting surface to effect the revolution of the engaged roller and the stropping of the blade, cutting of the active stropping-roller being prevented upon reverse rotation of the traction-wheel means due to the then inactive condition of the corresponding clutch-means.

2. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a truck-frame, a pair of stroppingrollers revoluble in said frame, a rotatable traction-wheel of larger diameter at each end of each such stropping-roller, one-way clutch connections between each of said traction-wheels and the corresponding strepping-roller, a support rockingly mounted on said truck-frame, and a blade-holder rigid and rockable with said support, whereby a blade in the holder may be swung into ongagement with either stropping-roller and the appliance rolled with the tractionwheels on a supporting surface to effect the revolution of the engaged roller and the stropping of the blade, cutting of the active stropping roller by the blade edge being prevented upon reverse rotation of the traction-wheel. means due to the then inactive condition of the corresponding clutchmeans.

3. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a stroppirig-element, a support having a slot therethrough with an enlargement, and a blade-holder having a locking projection adapted to be applied to said support by entering said slot with said. projection passing through said slot enlargement, whereby subsequent shifting of the bladeholder lengthwise carries such projection out of register with said enlargement and below the body of said support at one side of said slot.

st. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a stropping-element, a support having a slot therethrough with an enlargement, and a blade-holder having a shoulder adapted to bear on the top of said support and having a locking projection spaced downwardly therefrom, said blade-holder being adapted to be applied to said support by entering said slot with said projection passing through said slot enlargement, the blade holder shoulder limiting such insertion, whereupon subsequent shifting of the bladeholder lengthwise carries said projection out oi register with said enlargement and below the body of said support at one side of said slot, said shoulder continuing to overlie the top of said support.

5. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a sHopping-element, a support having a slot therethrough, and a blade-holder having an open-ended lengthwise slot, said blade-holder being adapted to be applied to said support by entering said slot and to be subsequently shifted lengthwise so that said blade-holder slot receives a portion of said support to lock said holder and support together.

6. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a shopping-clement, a support having a slot therethrough with an enlargement, and a blade-holder having a shoulder, a looking projection spaced downwardly from said shoulder and an open-ended lengthwise slot, said blade-holder being adapted to be applied to said support by entering said slot with said projection passing through said slot enlargement, the shoulder limiting such insertion, whereby subsequent shifting of the blade-holder lengthwise carries said projection out of register with said enlargement and below the body of said support at one side of said slot while the shoulder eontinues to overlie the top of said support and the blade-holder slot receives a portion of said support to lock the holder and support together.

'7. In a razor-blade stropper, the combination of a stropping-element, a thin metal support having a depression in its top surfaee, a slot (hei'ethrough at said depressed part and anenlargementof the slot beyond said de n'ession, and a blade-holder having a locking projection adapted to be applied to said support by entering said slot With said projection passing through said slot enlargement, whereby subsequent lengthwise shifting of the blade-holder carries suchprojection out of register with said enlargement 10 and below the body of said support at one side 01": said slot.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

eEone-n e. FLOYD. 

